giveaway #50

I apologize for being late this week; however, the prize arrived a day late and I really wanted to share a picture of the beautiful yarn being offered, but I promise, it was all worth the wait! Meet our wonderful and generous sponsor this week: Sunshine Yarns. Dani is the cool owner and artist behind this line of yarn and she did a fun written interview for us. Take a look...

1. Dani, please start by telling us a little bit about yourself and what you do?

Hello, and thanks so much for having me! Let's see ---- my name is Dani and I just bought a house with my husband Scott in Boulder, CO. I grew up in Colorado, so its good to be back! We have two kitties, Soma and Kali who are like our little kids. I'm a very outdoorsy person --- I hike, bike, run, swim and have recently started doing triathalons. I also love food and have become obsessed with our garden and eating what we grow. I love to read, love to go to happy hour and am dying to start sewing. I'm a pretty laid back person and try to take each day at a time. Sunshine Yarns fits really well into who I am as a person. Its often hard to balance the business and my own life, especially since we have grown so much the past couple of years. But, it keep me on my feet! You can see what we are up to at our website here: http://www.sunshineyarns.com; or see our "not too up to date" blog here: http://www.sunshineyarns.com/blog. We also have a wonderful and very active Ravelry group called Sunshine Yarnies --- come check it out!.

I am so inspired by the world around me. I grew up in the mountains of Colorado and from an early age, was out hiking, skiing, canoing, camping. I think this has always made me appreciate nature. I love to look at yarn and see an ocean, a sky, a rainforest. I also love to travel --- many of my colorways come from recent journeys both close to home and from around the world.

3. What got you started in dyeing yarns?

Let's see, well, while working as an Environmental Scientist in Boston, I started knitting alot more frequently and also started perusing knitting blogs. I saw the Kool-Aid craze sweep across the blogs and wanted to give it a try. I was quickly hooked and started Sunshine Yarns not long after that (this was Fall 2005). Starting a business wasn't something I really set out to do, it kind of just happened. Its been a learning experience for me, but I am thrilled with how things turned out. I think sometimes its better when you kind of fall into something you love to do!

4. I know that your yarns and colors are probably like children to you, but what's you current favorite colorway and/or yarn base that you offer?

My favorite colors have always been blues and greens, but recently I've been addicted to oranges and yellows. I don't think I can give you one colorway, but a few of my current favorites are Peacock, Saffron and Wanderer. I love, love Sportweight yarns --- so my current favorite base is the Merino Sport (or Luxury Sport).

5. What will be next for you? Do you have new colorways in the works that you can share with us?

Well, our next BIG thing is that we are going to Stitches West in February! Its our very first public appearance. I'm so excited, but there is also alot to get ready for! After that, we plan on having some new base yarns this year, and will hopefully continue to offer up our fun yarn kits and clubs. I'm always dyeing up new colorways, so its always good to check out our Tuesday store updates. This week's is 1-11-11 at 11am MST. How cool is that?!

6. Why do you knit?

I've always loved arts and crafts. I used to watch my amazing grandmother knit and sew, paint and bead. I love to knit because it is creating --- its relaxing, its fun, and its a great excuse to get together with knitting friends :)

7. When did you learn to knit and who taught you?

I am a self-taught knitter --- decided one day that I just had to knit and went to Michaels for some cheap yarn and needles (let's see, this is the Fall of 2003). After looking up some internet tutorials, I sat down to cast on a scarf. It turned out to be a blanket for our cats, because I had no idea how many stitches to cast on. I think I had at least 100 in bulky yarn. We laugh now, because I had the nerve to just keep on knitting, rather than frog and start over!

8. If you were to knit and live anywhere in the world, where would you knit and live?

I've traveled alot over the years, but New Zealand felt the most like home to me; plus there is sheep galore. To be honest though, I'm perfectly happy on our 2 acres here in Colorado :)

Hmm, I've actually never had anything too horrible happen! I guess I would say the worst disaster was last year, when we had a sudden wind storm, and I was moving all the drying roving inside. I tripped and fell over a pot and cracked a few ribs and partially dislocated my shoulder. Yep, seriously.

10. And last but not least, if you were to be drinking a cocktail while reading my blog, what would it be?

A rum and tonic with lots of lime of course!

Thank you, Dani, so much for visiting us! Sunshine Yarns is offering one of the coolest giveaways, the Dipped Infinity Kit. I'll let Dani tell you all about it:

"Dipped infinity Kits create an amazing scarf or scarf knit in the round --- it is joined, so its like a huge cowl. The pattern that comes with the kit is by Laura Chau. You always knit two colors together, so you get a really beautiful fabric, with the colors blending into one another. To find out more information, take a peek on Ravelry to see all the beautiful finished knits! You can view all the color sets we offer on Ravelry, or in our Sold Out section on the website, www.sunshineyarns.com. You can simply type in "infinity" and what we offer pops up. We offer color sets such as: Secret Garden, Be Natural, Find Me A River, Shoots and Leaves to name a few! If you are interested in ordering, please email me!"

Check out some of these amazing knitted scarves:

Kit color: Secret Garden

Kit color: Find Me a River

And, here is the lovely kit in the Autumn kit colorway Dani has sent over for one lucky follower to win:

Isn't that just cool?! I told you it was worth the wait.

I would like you to do the following if you would like to be entered into this week's giveaway:

2. Leave a comment on this blog post by the end of Sunday, 1/16/11. Just imagine... it's a cold winter evening with snowflakes falling outside and you are sitting in the most comfortable chair by a cozy warm fire. What are you knitting?

I'll randomly pick the winners on Sunday and post the results on Monday along with the new giveaway, so be sure to check back. Good luck everyone.

I've been sitting on a comfy sofa sans fire but outside it's a snowy world so I thing I'd be working on another shawl. It would need to be a fairly quick knit because I would definitely want it to grow quickly to keep away the winter chill!

Those colors are gorgeous. I dream in fall colors year round. And since I did have snow, a fire and some hot tea this week, I can say I am knitting a hat for DH to keep his head warm when we walk in the mornings.

I just got into the knitting of cowls--have made two so far of different patterns. This looks like a fun pattern! Socks on tap today for our THIRD snow day in a row, which brings Christmas vacation to just two days shy of a month!

Wow! That is some beautiful yarn. Since I'm bit on the cheap side and I keep our heat turned down I tend to knit with a blanket on me. So I would be knitting, by the cozy fire, something I recently finished and would happily knit again, Jared Flood's Girasole blanket. It was a joy. And if not that, a plain raglan or vanilla socks out of goreous wool.

I just finished a replacement balaclava for my hubby (and just in time before the serious cold temps we've been having.) And am currently working on a pair of socks for him and a second Andrea's Shawl by Kirst Kapur :)

I'd love to be knitting my first sweater!! I'm really hoping to cast on for one this year, but first I'm trying to finish up all my unfinished WIPs from 2010 (and, in some cases, before that, yikes!). :)

Beautiful colors! I would be knitting whatever is next in line on my knitting list! Right now it's a sweater for Phoebe Mouse (from the giveaway I won here!), next is a pair of knucks, and then some pillow covers. I think I'll stop there before I get overwhelmed!

If time were no object -- I had nowhere else I had to be or nothing else I HAD to do -- I would be knitting a stole out of hand dyed merino. I have one that's been WIP for about 2 years now, and it just keeps getting put into hibernation for other rush jobs.

i've got a ripple afghan *gasp - crochet!* that I've been working on for about 2 years. It gets pulled out on the first snowfall of the year, then lives in a basket to be worked on anytime it snows or is insanely cold. With all the snow we had last winter, I've gotten really far on it!

I'd be knitting on my Dark and Stormy, which seems to be taking forever! It's actually exactly what I was working on last night while it was snowing. My husband and I had the blinds pulled so we could watch the big fat snowflakes coming down. It was so distracting, I didn't get very much knitting done!

I am knitting a Misti Aplaca sweater. I found the book and pattern last summer and then the correct yarn a few weeks later. I was knitting a few Christmas gifts so I put this aside and now I have gone back to it. (I hope it fits).

Since I just can't avoid paying attention to a beautiful fire, I would probably be knitting up a Traveling Woman Stole. The pattern is so easily memorized that I wouldn't have to constantly watch my stitches. I would be comfortably squished into my chair and watching the flames lick the air above the wood and listen to the soft crackle. Now THAT's heaven!

Well, you pretty much describe my life every night! Except there is no fire and you left out the occasional screaming baby . . . But the snow part and the cozy chair part and the knitting part are right!

So . . . I am currently knitting a sweater vest for my nephew and am about to begin a sweater for my youngest's first birthday. That is what I would like to knit in such a situation and that IS what I am knitting!

I would hope it would be a scarf, using a "Dipped Infinity Kit"(the colors are gorgeous!)I'd won in a giveaway! If not, then most likely it would be a sweater, as that seems to be what I knit most. :-)

I'd be knitting some fingerless gloves (like I am now) or a warm hat. I'm a fairly new knitter, and hopefully soon I'll also know how to knit some cozy socks. Thanks for the giveaway, that yarn is gorgeous!

Oh My gosh, that yarn is beautiful! It actually started snowing last night, and I was sitting by a fire. Unfortunately, as I live in Portland, Oregon, the weather didn't cooperate and it all melted. If this happened again I would be knitting a nice lacy blanket in some pretty, shimmery colors.

When it's cold and cosy there are two possibilities for me - either I frantically knit on mittens and socks and hats or other little items to keep me warm as soon as possible - or I knit/crochet blankets to wrap around me and get even cosier. I love winter knitting.

What you describe is exactly where I am! It is snowing and I'm by the fireplace in my fave chair. The only difference - it's morning. I am knitting my 3 year old granddaughter the Twirly Skirt from Barefoot Knits. Bright, colourful and cheery.

I love love love this scarf. I have made one, and would love to make another!It is snowy and cold here...and I am working on two things: a baby Otto Top from Vintage Baby Knits as well as my very first "husband sweater" from Knits Men Want.

Well, let's see... it's 1 degree outside, snowed yesterday, kids are home with a snow day today & I'm knitting by the fire. So I can honestly say, it's picking up stitches for the sleeves on the sweater I want to finish so I can put it on.

it's a cold winter evening with snowflakes falling outside and you are sitting in the most comfortable chair by a cozy warm fire. What are you knitting?

this is like knitting at my mothers house with a great big ol' rocking chair. I love days like this.

I would be knitting up the pattern I want to make for a strawberry shortcake dress or starting my very first aran afghan (i'm inching closer and closer to making one).

My o My what a wonderful idea for a scarf/cowl design. I think it is absolutely beautiful! and so many beautiful yarns at her store. I think my favorite is the Bella, and Sea Dragon. Wish my husband would give me more allotted money for my yarn stash ;D

No snow flakes fall where I live in the south of Portugal (I had too many decades of shoveling snow! north of NYC!) I love a no-snow environment! Still, we get cold nights in the winter and chilly days here. A fire heats our living room and on the coldest nights I twist a sofa to catch the heat, cuddle up to a cat, and get to work on socks -nothing beats handknit socks in our wet winters - or a sweater to ward off the damp and chill. I've already got the fingerless mitts I need to keep going on the computer.

The autumn kit has some beautiful colors, it will look great in the cowl pattern. I'm about to start knitting a circular throw blanket in a yummy, natural merino colorway. It's the perfect lap blanket to sit by the fire and, what else, knit!

I haven't had a cold winter night to knit since I left Colorado! Hopefully Dani will give the mountains a brief, wistful wave for me. IF I had a cold winter night, and a cold winter to knit for, I guess a nice warm sweater would be ideal. As it is, most nights I'm knitting socks these days!

I am knitting some fingerless mitts and a scarf right now- one of my resolutions for 2011 was to use up some bit 'n pieces of leftover yarn- so far I've been soooo good and the random balls of partial skeins are quickly being made into lovely things for other people in 2011!

As we just had the most wonderful extended weekend thanks to a couple of inches of snow---socks and socks and more socks. However if I was alone and could sit down for a few hours without any little (ahem) distractions-I would love to work on an afghan.